I Know
by Maman Abeille
Summary: Set a couple years in the future. Marinette is finaly ready to tell Luka she's Ladybug. (Lukanette) (Complete)


**I have no idea why I'm on such a Luka kick. I sat down to write something similar to this with Ladybug and Cat Noir, yet here we are with Luka. **

Marinette has been Ladybug for five years now. She loves being Ladybug, but she has to admit that being one half of the dynamic duo that saves Pairs on a semi daily basis is starting to take its toll. She's no longer in lycée which has helped some with being able to escape during classes. However, between her internship, university classes, working part time in the bakery, and her relationship with Luka. If she's being honest with herself, it's really the last one that is bothering her the most. She hates having to lie to Luka about where she's been. She hates have to sneak out when he's sleeping for a middle of the night akuma.

She's talked to Tikki about it, and the kwami has assured her that it would be okay to tell him. She's worried though. She's worried that Luka will be mad at her for lying all these years. She's worried it will put him in danger if anyone knows. She's also not entirely sure that it's fair for anyone other that Cat Noir to discover her secret identity first. He has after all been the one fighting beside her. Luka has also always been indifferent to Ladybug, and she's worried he might be disappointed in her for putting herself in danger.

The two of them have been together for three years. They've lived together since a little after graduation. She knows that he's thinking of proposing soon, and she knows she can't say yes to him if he doesn't know. it's not fair to him. He'd be asking to spend his life with Marinette, not Marinette and Ladybug. She wishes she had someone to talk to other than Tikki. She's had a deep as a conversation as they could without revealing their identities with Cat Noir, and he seems to be in a similar situation. She wonders if they should just tell each one another and then they can tell their significant others. It might be nice to know. They could better protect each other and their loved ones if they knew. Unless they got caught, or someone found out. Then they could be used against one another. That was her same issue with Luka. If anyone found that he knew, or anyone found out her identity, he would be in serious risk from their enemies.

Marinette was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice said man sitting down next to her until he kissed her gently on the cheek. "Someone's lost in their thoughts. Penny for them?" he asked, as he pulled her onto his lap. Something about his gentle touch and how vulnerable she was after such a long thought session, made her burst into tears. Luka tensed for a second surprised by the sudden tears, before squeezing her tighter. "Hey, baby, what's wrong?"

Marinette's tears quickly turned into deep sniffles. She buried her face into her boyfriends chest, and tried to focus on the feel of him rubbing circles on her back and his soft whispers of, "It's okay, Mari." She had to tell him. She had to. She sat up straight, rubbing her eyes determinately with her sleeves and looked right at him. "I have to tell you something. It probably will come as a shock, and you will probably have lots of questions, and I promise I'll answer all of them as best as I can. It's important." Something about the determination on her face made Luka simply nod for her to continue. "I'm Ladybug," she finally admitted after a couple more deep breaths.

Luka couldn't help but let out a little chuckle and pull her closer to him again. "I know."

Marinette's head was spinning. How could he know? Was she not being careful enough? How long had he known? Was he upset when he found out? Did anyone else know? "What do you mean you know?"

"Well, there were many things that kind of led me to finding out. Once we moved in together though, that was what made it click. I'm not nearly as heavy a sleeper as you think I am. The first couple of times you snuck out, I'm not going to lie, I was a little worried. I realized they were all on nights when there had been an akuma attack. I started really looking at Ladybug, and of course you were her. The two of you looked identical. Then when you saved me right after we moved in, your song sounded just like, well you. I'd know your song anywhere. That was when I knew for sure. Then I found Tikki, who tried to convince me she was a cat by meowing, and it was a real confirmation. Since I had already figured out you were, in fact, Ladybug, she filled in some gaps and explained some things."

Marinette was frozen. She couldn't believe it. He figured it out on his own. Not because she had messed up. He just knew her that well. Tikki! Tikki knew he knew! Tikki talked to him! "TIKKI!" she shrieked forcing her kwami out of hiding. Tikki flew over to her and hovered in front of the two of them, a look of pure shame and apology on her face. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. We both just agreed that it would be better for us to wait to tell you until you were ready to talk to him about it."

"She's being a little modest, Mari," Luka told her, taking one of her hands tightly. "I asked her not to tell you I knew. I didn't want you to worry about be knowing, until you were ready to tell me yourself. It's your secret. I wanted you to tell me when you wanted and felt comfortable, not be corned into a confession."

Marinette was finally calming down and accept that he knew. She couldn't help but fall in love with him a little more with his words. She once again is blown away by this thoughtfulness and consideration, one of the first first things about him that made her love him. She gave him a quick kiss, barely a peck, before pulling back away. "I'm sorry it took so long to tell you."

"I understand why you did, Marinette. Tikki explained some of the things, but mostly I know you. You were worried it would put me in danger."

Marinette wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I was," she mumbled into his shirt. "I love you, Luka. I can't imagine anything happening to you, especially if it's because I'm Ladybug."

"I love you too, Marinette. I always have, and I always will. By the way, I'm really proud of you, babe. I've always known you were extraordinary."

"You're pretty extraordinary, yourself." She leaned forward a pressed a deep kiss to his lips, her face warming as he took her bottom lip between his teeth to deepen it further. He forced a gasp out of her as he tightened his hold on her, lifted her up off the couch, and carried her to the other room. Tikki took this as her cue to find a comfy spot nestled in the blankets and pillows that Marinette left on the couch for her.

**I'd love to hear some thoughts on this. It kind of just wrote itself. **

**-Maman Abeille **


End file.
